Blueberry plant named &#39;Lucero&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Blueberry cultivar is provided that is the product of a controlled breeding program followed by selection. The cultivar flowers and forms fruit that ripens at mid-season. The attractive light blue substantially round berries are formed in compact clusters and exhibit a refreshing blueberry flavor. The berries are well amenable to mechanical harvest. The plant is self-fertile, and the growth habit is generally upright. Attractive evergreen foliage is displayed. A low chilling requirement is also exhibited.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Vaccinium corymbosum L./Blueberry Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION cv. Lucero SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Blueberry cultivar of the present invention was the product ofcontrolled artificial pollination carried out in a greenhouse atGreenwood, Fla., U.S.A., wherein two parents were crossed whichpreviously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute thedesired characteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) wasthe unreleased ‘FL 91-160’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States).The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the ‘Windsor’ cultivar (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12, 783). The parentage of the new cultivar can besummarized as follows:

‘FL 91-160’×‘Windsor’.

The seeds resulting from the pollination were shipped to Almonte,Huelva, Spain, where they sown during approximately 1997, small plantswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother and selective research of the progeny was carried out. Selectivestudy resulted in the identification of a single plant of the newcultivar. The new cultivar initially was designated S01-28-01.

It was found that the new Blueberry plant of the present inventiondisplays the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) flowers at mid-season and forms fruit that ripens at        mid-season,    -   (b) displays a generally upright growth habit with attractive        evergreen foliage,    -   (c) is self-fertile,    -   (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and    -   (e) forms in abundance attractive light blue substantially round        berries having an extended post-harvest shelf life in compact        clusters that exhibit a refreshing blueberry flavor and are well        suited for mechanical harvest.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry andcan be grown to advantage for the commercial production of blueberries.The plant is well suited for growing under tunnels in well drained soilsin warm regions while utilizing evergreen management techniques.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be distinguished from itsancestors and all other Blueberry cultivars known to its originators.When compared to the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar (non-patented in the UnitedStates), the new cultivar is taller, more upright, and more resistant toRust. When compared to the ‘Misty’ cultivar (non-patented in the UnitedStates), the new cultivar forms very compact berry clusters while thefruit of the ‘Misty’ cultivar commonly is borne in a considerably moreexpanded manner. When compared to the ‘O'Neal’ cultivar (non-patented inthe United States), the new cultivar commonly displays a chillrequirement of less than 300 hours, while the chill requirement of the‘O'Neal’ cultivar commonly approximates 500 hours. When compared to the‘Star’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,675), the new cultivar commonlyis more resistant to Botrytis.

The new cultivar was selected during the spring of 2001 and has beenasexually reproduced by the rooting of softwood cuttings beginningduring the summer of 2001 at Almonte, Huelva, Spain. Such asexualpropagation has shown that the characteristics of the new cultivar arefirmly fixed and are stably transmitted from one generation to another.Accordingly, the new cultivar asexually reproduces in a true-to-typemanner.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Lucero’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show in color as nearly true as it isreasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of thischaracter, typical plants and plant parts of the new cultivar. Theplants which had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of softwoodcuttings were approximately five years of age except where otherwiseindicated, and were being grown outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

FIG. 1 shows a portion of an upright flowering plant of the newcultivar.

FIG. 2 shows a compact cluster of berries of the new cultivar in variousstages of development as well as the foliage of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows a close view of the upper (adaxial)) surfaces of typicalleaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 4 shows a close view of the under (abaxial) surfaces of typicalleaves of the new cultivar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein isthe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England. Ordinary color terms are to be accorded their customarydictionary significance. The description is based on the observation ofapproximately five-year-old plants of the new cultivar which had beenasexually reproduced by the rooting of softwood cuttings while growingoutdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

-   Plant:    -   -   Growth habit.—generally upright.        -   Height.—approximately 1.75 m at 5 years of age.        -   Width.—approximately 2.7 m at 5 years of age.        -   Foliage retention.—evergreen.        -   Chill requirement.—less than 300 hours.-   Foliage:    -   -   Shape.—generally elliptic (as illustrated).        -   Length.—commonly approximately 59 mm on average.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 27 mm on average.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Base.—acute.        -   Margin.—entire.        -   Texture.—glabrous and non-glandular.        -   Color.—Green Group 137B on the upper (adaxial) surface, and            near Green Group 138C on the under (abaxial) surface.-   Flowers:    -   -   Time.—mid-season, at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, with first            flower commonly at approximately January 20^(th), and 50            percent bloom at approximately February 25^(th).        -   Number.—commonly approximately 6 flowers per bud on average.        -   Petals.—5 in number and fused into a corolla tube.        -   Fertility.—self-fertile.        -   Fragrance.—none.-   Fruit:    -   -   Time.—commonly from approximately April 20th to June 15^(th)            at Almonte, Huelva, Spain (i.e., approximately 8 weeks).        -   Shape.—substantially round and somewhat pumpkin-shaped (as            illustrated).        -   Height.—commonly approximately 17 mm on average.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 20 mm on average.        -   Weight.—approximately 3.26 g/berry on average when plants            were 5 years of age.        -   Fruit scar.—approximately 1.4 mm in size, relatively deep,            and dry.        -   Seed number.—commonly approximately 28 per berry on average.        -   Seed size.—commonly approximately 1.2 mm in length, and            approximately 0.8 mm in width on average.        -   Immature color.—commonly near Green Group 130D with bloom,            and Yellow-Green Group 145A without bloom.        -   Mature color.—light blue, Violet-Blue Group 97A with bloom,            and Black Group 202A without bloom.        -   Productivity.—abundant, approximately 3.21 Kg/plant on            average when plants were 5 years of age.        -   Flavor.—displays a refreshing blueberry flavor.-   Development:    -   -   Ability to store.—the fruit stores well under refrigeration,            when stored at 8° C. approximately 100 percent of harvest            commonly is good 7 days after harvest, and when stored at            20° C. approximately 96 percent of harvest commonly is good            7 days after harvest.        -   Disease tolerance.—no special sensitivity to common            Blueberry diseases, such as Leaf Rust (Pucciniastrum            vaccini) and Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea), has been            encountered during observations to date at Almonte, Huelva,            Spain, and has shown to be more resistant to Rust than the            “Sharpblue’ cultivar, and more resistant to Bortytis than            the ‘Star’ cultivar.        -   Insects.—is susceptible to aphids and thrips.        -   Cultural conditions.—does well when grown in a warm            low-chilling area under tunnels in well drained soils while            using evergreen growing conditions.

Plants of the ‘Lucero’ cultivar have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions to date, Accordingly, it is possiblethat the phenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in lightintensity and duration, cultural practices, and other environmentalconditions without variance in the genotype.

1. A new and distinct Blueberry plant that possess the followingcombination of characteristics: (a) flowers at mid-season and formsfruit that ripens at mid-season, (b) displays a generally upright growthhabit with attractive evergreen foliage, (c) is self-fertile, (d)displays a low chilling requirement, and (e) forms in abundanceattractive light blue substantially round berries having an extendedpost-harvest shelf life in compact clusters that are well suited formechanical harvest and exhibit a refreshing blueberry flavor;substantially as herein shown and described.